Light, fluffy, soft, tender (secretly healthy) cinnamon-spiced donuts finished with a decadent, rich, espresso infused, dark chocolate glaze and a cheeky cookie crumble!

Something that you may or may not know about me is that I LOVEEEEE donuts!

I remember growing up, when I was finally was allowed to walk to school by myself, each week I would try to save some of my pocket money and leave for school a few minutes early just so I could swing by this cute little bakery and pick up a freshly baked, fluro frosted, pretty pink donut (with extra sprinkles) to eat as I finished my walk to school. It was heaven!

And, one of my first jobs was actually at a cafe/donut shop in our local mall! I loved making and frosting (and eating) all the donuts!

These days I don’t buy donuts very often because a good gluten-free donut can be a little hard to come by. Total first world problem I know but a problem nonetheless so,

What’s a girl to do?!

She heads to the kitchen and makes her own that’s what she does and um, I don’t want to toot my own horn or anything but these donuts . . . exceeded all of my expectations! They are next-level deliciousness I tell you *toot toot* and that glaze. . . .

Made with a mix of dark chocolate and nut butter + a cheeky hit of espresso . . . it’s everything I love in life all served up on one tasty treat!!

If food could be a spirit animal, this would be mine!

Donuts + espresso infused chocolate + nut butter AND a cookie crunch!

So rich, so chocolaty with that subtle hit of espresso, paired with those light as air, cinnamon-spiced, snickerdoodle donuts finished with a deliciously buttery, crisp and crunchy cookie crumble . . .

My life is now complete.

Wait, eating these, while drinking coffee = life complete!

Made with just 6 (ish) ingredients (+ a couple of pantry staples) that I bet you have on hand already and come together in 1 bowl with 1 spoon and can be ready to devour in around 20 minutes!

Healthy enough to serve for breakfast (with a big ol’ vat of coffee, of course) but indulgent enough to enjoy for a little late-night treat (with a cup of chocolate-chai moon mylk for me please)!

Gluten Free – Dairy free – Grain free – Refined sugar free –  Low Carb – Paleo –  Keto – Vegan friendly.

From my heart to yours, enjoy xo

Click here for tips, tricks & to cook along with me

* I love Macro Mike plant based almond protein powder (have not tested any other brand/type in this recipe). Its gluten free, dairy free, sugar free, boosted with probiotics & truly tastes all kinds of incredible. Its hands down without question the smoothest, most delicious, elite tasting protein power (plant based/dairy free or otherwise!!) I have ever tried. And I have tried A LOT!  Use AMB-EM to get a cheeky discount of you want to try it & believe me, you do!

You “can” sub 1/2 teaspoon of coconut flour in place of the protein powder but the taste & nutritional boost the protein pwd adds really takes these donuts (& your life by extension) to a whole new level!

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Question of the day –

What’s your favorite flavor donut?

Feel free to share recipes, or links to your fave recipes in the comments below or on the Facebook page and please for the love of all that is good in this world when you do make your baked, grain free mocha fudge snickerdoodle donuts  (or any of the recipes you find on this blog of mine) don’t forget to take a pic and share it either on the Facebook page, or you can just tag me on Instagram ( I’m @emsswanston ). Sharing is caring remember and it makes my heart so happy to see you re-creating and enjoying my recipes. Truly brings me so much joy!

Do it, do it You know you want to

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The post {Baked – Grain Free} Snickerdoodle Donuts + Mocha Fudge Glaze!!! first appeared on Better with Cake.

little palette cleanser after allllll the deliciously indulgent Christmas treats (I regret nothing ) !

To say I am obsessed with these adorable little muffins is a bit of an understatement. I may or may not have made them 3 x in 2 weeks (I totally did!) and each time I make them I feel like I fall more & more in love with them!

Subtly sweet, soft and tender with the perfect hit of light, fresh, zesty, lemony deliciousness!

Hear me when I say, you neeeeeed in on this.

Made with no refined flour or sugar using just a handful of ingredients that I bet you have on hand already and come together in 1 bowl with 1 spoon and can be ready to devour in less than 20 minutes!

Gluten free – Dairy free – Grain Free – Refined Sugar free – Low Carb  – Paleo – Keto – Vegan friendly – but most importantly they really are downright delicious and you need them in your life because, yum!

Super simple, seriously delicious and 100% worthy of their title.

Subtly sweet, soft, tender & bursting with deliciousness. They’re practically perfect in every way!

I hope you love them as much as I do which just in case you missed it, is A LOT!

FYI – these make THE PERFECT make-ahead grab & go breakfast  or morning/ afternoon treat for busy days! They are 100% freezer friendly so you can make a double, triple, quadruple batch now, then stash them in the freezer so they’re ready for the week , or just something to have on hand should unexpected visitors pop by. Look at you being all organized!

From my heart to yours,  Enjoy xo

• *I use Macro Mike vanilla buttercream (or caramelized white chocolate) plant based almond protein powder ! Its gluten free, dairy free, sugar free, boosted with probiotics & truly tastes all kinds of incredible. Its hands down without question the smoothest, most delicious, elite tasting protein power (plant based/dairy free or otherwise!!) I have ever tried. And I have tried A LOT!
• You “can” sub 1 tsp coconut flour in place of the protein powder but the flavour & nutritional boost the protein pwd adds really make  these muffins extra magical!
• **The lovely team @ Lakanto have given me a discount code to share with you – EMSWANSTON15 = 15% off all the things. let me know if you have any questions or need product recs. Happy shopping xo

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Question of the day –

What’s your all-time favourite flavour muffin (or cupcake)? any suggestions or requests on what I should make next?

Feel free to share recipes, or links to your fave recipes in the comments below or on the Facebook page and please for the love of all that is good in this world when you do make your lovely lemon and poppyseed muffins (or any of the recipes you find on this blog of mine) go ahead and snap a pic and share it either on the Facebook page, or tag me on twitter or Instagram. Sharing is caring remember.

Do it, do it You know you want to

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The post Lemon and Poppyseed Muffins first appeared on Better with Cake.

Answer . . . honestly, I have no idea! Actually, I think I do . . . I kind of feel like I was never really interested in coffee cake although I have no idea why?! Coffee + cake sounds like a very good time to me and now that I think about it, it’s a combination that has my name allll over it so I’m not really sure why I resisted it for so long?!

I think in my mind I always assumed it was dry, boring, tasteless and something only “old” people enjoy . . . Maybe I had a bad experience with coffee cake as a child?! Who knows? But, I’m happy to tell you . . . I was very, very wrong.

And so was waiting so long to make it, eat it and more importantly share it with you!

A few weeks ago I shared my very first coffee cake recipe.  Remeber those blueberry crumble coffee cake muffins?! They were incredible, in fact, I’m still dreaming about them!

But this snickerdoodle coffee cake has taken my obsession to a whole new level!

The cake itself is subtly sweet, incredibly soft and super moist (sorry, nope… there’s really no other word that works here) and is spiked with a hint of cinnamon that totally reminds me of snickerdoodle cookies which also happen to be my absolute favourite cookie (hence the name) and it’s stuffed with a deliciously buttery, melt in your mouth, streusel that adds a lovely contrast in texture and swirls perfectly into the batter. It truly is a magical experience!

And then we have that optional (but not really) sugar-free, protein-packed whipped vanilla cream cheese frosting! It’s a cross between a (not-so) basic, traditional cream cheese frosting and a luscious slice of cheesecake and it pairs so perfectly with the buttery, streusel-y, “espresso” infused, cinnamon-y light, fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth coffee cake and you are going to LOVVEEEEEEEE it!

There are three simple components that make up this epic snickerdoodle cake- the cake, the streusel, and the glaze. All very simple on their own but when you put them all together, you have a truly magical eating experience that is going to rock your world.

You know what I’m thinking?! I’m thinking this life-changing, snickerdoodle coffee cake would be perfect for you to make and share with the ones you love over the upcoming holidays or just to make for your fine self on a random Tuesday because #treatyoself !

My suggestion? Do both. We’ve waited long enough to bring coffee into our lives. I suggest you make it this week, if not today, tomorrow for sure. Make it for your fine self to enjoy then again to share with loved ones on Christmas morning. Enjoy it with a big cup of coffee for the perfect morning…or afternoon… or late-night treat. Go onnnnn . . . you know you want to.

For my visual learners, Click here for some step-by-step pics, extra tips & to cook along with me 

From my heart to yours, enjoy xo

Notes –

* How to make a flax egg mix 1 Tablespoon of flaxmeal (ground flaxseed) + 2 1/2 Tablespoons of water, let it sit for 5 mins to thicken & voila , you have a flax egg.
1 Tbsp flax meal + 2.5 Tbsp water = 1 egg

** I love Macro Mike plant based almond protein powder (have not tested any other in this recipe). Its gluten free, dairy free, sugar free, boosted with probiotics & truly tastes all kinds of incredible. Its hands down without question the smoothest, most delicious, elite tasting protein power (plant based/dairy free or otherwise!!) I have ever tried. And I have tried A LOT!  Use AMB-EM to get a cheeky discount of you want to try it & believe me, you do!

You can sub 1/2 teaspoon of coconut flour in place of the protein powder but the taste & nutritional boost the protein pwd adds really takes these muffins to a whole new level!

** If you’re not using a super thick Greek style yoghurt you can lay some muslin cloth in a colander/fine-mesh sieve and let it sit to drain out some of the excess water.

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Question of the day –

What’s your fave flavour muffin? Any suggestions or requests on what we should make next?

Feel free to share recipes, or links to your fave recipes in the comments below or on the Facebook page and please for the love of all that is good in this world when you do make your light, fluffy, bakery-style blueberry coffee cake muffins (or any of the recipes you find on this blog of mine) go ahead and snap a pic and share it either on the Facebook page, or tag me on twitter or Instagram. Sharing is caring remember.

Do it, do it You know you want to

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The post Snickerdoodle Coffee Cake first appeared on Better with Cake.

Pancakes are not something I make very often. I only really make them once or twice a year for VERY special occasions, because all that whisking and folding and standing and flipping  . . . ain’t nobody got time (or should I say patience) for that!

But, I recently discovered that pancakes are one of my husbands favourite foods. I’m talking something he would request for his last meal on earth fave foods . . . how did I not know this ?!  We have been together for almost 20 years (we met when we were very young ) , married for 13 years this year and until very recently I had no idea he loved pancakes so much?! Berries I knew he loved, pancakes . . . not so much! Wife of the year goes to me?! Um, no – well maybe  . . .

Because you guys, these pancakes are so simple to make and so, SO delicious I’ve made them 3 times in one week!

I don’t even know who I am anymore?!

And yes, they really are THAT good! Even this self-proclaimed waffle lover is obsessed with them!!!!

I don’t want to toot my own horn or anything but they really are pretty incredible!

Subtly sweet, hearty, yet light, soft, tender and busting with beautiful blueberries!

I mean just look at them . . .

Insert all the heart eye emojis, here ↑↑↑

Made with just a handful of pantry staples that I bet you have on hand already and come together in a matter of minutes!

Simply throw the ingredients into a bowl, mix it all up, pour yourself a cup of coffee, blast your fave tunes and let the sipping, flipping, dancing, and feasting begin!

Serve them simply as they are, fresh off the skillet, with lashings of melted butter and a generous drizzle of maple syrup.

Spread with PB & J or load them up with vanilla yoghurt (or ice cream!!!!), fresh berries, and a drizzle of nut butter or melted chocolate and maybe add some sprinkles ← seriously, do it – this is a party after all!

However, you choose to do it you really can’t go wrong!

Light, fluffy, subtly sweet, secretly healthy blueberry pancakes spiked with the perfect hint of vanilla!

Gluten Free – Dairy free – Grain free – Can be nut free – Sugar free –  Low Carb – Paleo – Keto – Vegan friendly !

100% worth it!

The only thing that’s left to decide is how will you have yours?!

Vanilla yoghurt (or ice cream), almond butter and allll of the maple syrup for me pls! HBU?

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Question of the day –

What’s your favourite kind of pancake?

Feel free to share recipes, or links to your fave recipes in the comments below or on the Facebook page and please for the love of all that is good in this world when you do make your beautiful blueberry pancakes (or any of the recipes you find on this blog of mine) go ahead and snap a pic and share it either on the Facebook page, or tag me on twitter or Instagram. Sharing is caring remember.

Do it, do it You know you want to

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The post Fluffy {Paleo} Vanilla Spiked Blueberry Pancakes first appeared on Better with Cake.

Sugar free, mega cluster , maple-vanilla paleo granola!

Is it breakfast? Is it a snack? Could it be lunch or perhaps dessert?

The answer my friend is, yes, yes, yes and YES.

Those of you who follow along with my Instagram stories already know how obsessed I am with this mega cluster paleo granola. Ive been making it every other week (if not every week) for the last few months and every time I make it we seem to fall more and more in love with it.

I figured it was time to stop teasing and give you the recipe because you neeed in on this life-changing deliciousness. Friends don’t let friends miss out on the good, good mega cluster granola!

It’s subtly sweet, deliciously buttery, crispy, light and dangerously addictive! Or is it addicting?! I can never decide which to write/say?! Call it what you want just do yourself a favour and go make it already!

Super, simple, seriously delicious and yes, the chocolate drizzle is technically optional, initially I did it just for the ‘gram because plain ol’ granola, as delicious as it is, it isn’t the prettiest thing to photograph but then we tasted it and wow . . . it’s granola meets choc chip cookie and I am 100% here for it! Besides, I think you and I can both agree that life’s just better when it’s drizzled with chocolate.

Feel free to make your clusters as big (or small) as you like. I love to make them on the larger side so I can eat it like a cookie (my fave!!) or break it into smaller pieces, add some ice cold vanilla almond milk and enjoy like a bowl of cereal. Well, actually I prefer to eat my cereal (and ice cream for that matter) out of a mug. I don’t know why but I find it’s so much more satisfying that way. You too? Just me? Anyway . . .

However you choose to do it, you really can’t go wrong!

Gluten free – Dairy free – Grain Free – Sugar free – Low Carb  – Paleo – Keto – 100% Vegan friendly – but most importantly it really is life-changingly delicious and you need them in your life because YUMMMMM

The only thing that’s left to decide is how will you eat yours?!

Straight up as it is  (cookie style) then crumbled onto a loaded choc banana yoghurt bowl for me pls, soooooo good! Seriosuly, you have to try it!

Notes – It should keep well for several weeks but ours rarely lasts the week because we cant stop eating it!

Use it as you would your fave granola as cereal with yoghurt, almond milk, banana, fresh berries , sprinkle it on a smoothie or as a snack (seriously reminds me of eating a cookie) any time of day.

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Question of the day –

Current fave snack obsession? A girl can never have too many options!

Feel free to share recipes, or links to your fave recipes in the comments below or on the Facebook page and please for the love of all that is good in this world when you do make your mega cluster granola  (or any of the recipes you find on this blog of mine) go ahead and snap a pic and share it either on the Facebook page, or tag me on twitter or Instagram. Sharing is caring remember.

Do it, do it You know you want to

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The post 20 minute {Sugar Free} Mega Cluster Paleo Granola first appeared on Better with Cake.

In an ideal world we would all be organized and have time to sit down, prepare and enjoy a perfectly balanced , leisurely breakfast every single morning. We’ve all been told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day after all.

But, reality is . . . life’s busy, mornings are crazy and brownies help. End of story!

I know there are a bazillion and one ready made breakfast/snack bars available in stores these days , you can even find some made with great ingredients like we’re using here today, no added sugar , preservative free with no artificial, unnecessary or unpronounceable additives or weird ingredients but, they can come with a hefty price tag. And rightly so, you get what you pay for!

Although, I don’t know about you but oftentimes I find those pre-made store bought bars can be dry and tasteless or overly sweet or just made with ingredients that I just don’t love!

That’s the beauty of these DIY grab and go breakfast bar.

They are so not dry or tasteless, not even a little bit!

They are soft and chewy, not overly sweet, with a rich chocolate flavour, a hum (or loud rev if you prefer) of espresso and just the right amount of crunch.

They truly are so, SO delicious and really do taste like brownie batter!

Brownies for breakfast = living your best life!

And I know I just said we are all so busy, too busy to stop and make a proper breakfast every morning but these bars literally take 2 minutes to mix up, they taste amazing.

And you don’t have to eat them for breakfast if you don’t want too.

They also make a great snack, perfect pre-workout, great lunch dessert, awesome afternoon pick me up or indulgent, cheeky little late night treat!

Super easy to make using just a handful of ingredients that I bet you have on hand already and come together in 1 bowl, with 1 spoon, no blending, processing or fancy equipment required and are 100% customizable so you make em’ how YOU like em’ !

Don’t like chocolate – ummmm are you even real?! – No problem, more for me, skip the cacao and use a vanilla, unflavored, salted caramel, banana or strawberry protein powder instead

Don’t like protein powder, you don’t have to use it – feel free to use almond flour, oat flour, hazelnut meal, collagen – you do you boo!

Want to give your bars a little extra umph – add some chopped nuts – walnuts, hazelnut or pecans would be incredible here!

Add some dried fruit – cranberries, blueberries, figs, apricots , go wild and add a little of each!

And I’m not saying that you have to but I strongly suggest that you do . . .dip or drizzle them with melted chocolate because, life’s just better when its drizzled with chocolate !

All natural, quick and easy, subtly sweet, soft and chewy, super fudgy, seriously chocolatey, delicious, nutritious, date free brownie batter breakfast bars . . .

Gluten Free – Dairy free – Grain free – Refined sugar free –  Low carb – Paleo –  Keto &  Vegan friendly !

1 bowl, + 5 minutes . . .

Make them. Eat them. Love, love, love them.

Mix & Make {DATE FREE} Brownie Batter Breakfast Bars

Gluten Free – Dairy Free – Grain Free – Refined Sugar Free – Low Carb – Keto – Paleo & Vegan Friendly

Makes 4 large, 6 medium or 9 bite size bars

Ingredients –

1 teaspoon of vanilla

2 Tablespoons of maple syrup or honey

1 Tablespoon of coconut oil

1/3 cup flaxmeal (ground flaxseed)

1/4 cup of almond butter – or nut / seed butter of choice

1 teaspoon of instant espresso – more or less to taste

A pinch of ground cinnamon

2 Tablespoons of cacao

1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

2–3 Tablespoons of dark chocolate chips or cocoa nibs⁣

1/4 cup of protein powder – can sub almond flour/meal  or oat flour if you prefer and add extra sweetener as needed

1–2 Tablespoons of almond milk or water  ⁣

Optional add ins –

Collagen – gut health

Reishi & ATP Science Cort RX – boosts immunity, calms the nervous system & my busy brain!

Feel free to add in as many extras as you like – things like chopped nuts, dried fruit, more chocolate . . . play around, have fun and make it your own

Method –

1 – Line a loaf pan (or small rimmed baking dish) with baking/parchment paper and set aside.
* I like to secure it in place with pegs/clips so the paper doesn’t slide and move around while you are pressing and smoothing your bars in to the pan.

2 – Place all ingredients into a bowl and stir until well combined.

3 – Taste and adjust accordingly

4 – If the mix is a little dry add more milk or water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until it comes together.

5 – Press into your prepared loaf pan, smooth it out to the edges in one nice even(ish) layer.

6 – Pop it in the fridge for 20-30 minutes to set (or freeze for 5-10)

7 – Slice in to individual bars

8 – Drizzle with melted chocolate if you want, you know you do.

9 – Devour.

Note – Wrap individually or store in an air tight container in the fridge.
Bars can also be frozen, just allow to thaw for 10 minutes or so before you try to bite on in.

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Question of the day –

What’s your ideal breakfast?

Feel free to share recipes, or links to your fave recipes in the comments below or on the Facebook page and please for the love of all that is good in this world when you do make your brownie bars (or any of the recipes you find on this blog of mine) go ahead and snap a pic and share it either on the Facebook page, or tag me on twitter or Instagram. Sharing is caring remember.

Do it, do it You know you want to

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The post Mix & Make {DATE FREE} Brownie Batter Breakfast Bars first appeared on Better with Cake.

With Mother’s day just a few days away I thought I would put together a short list of a few of my favorite deliciously simple, secretly healthy recipes that would be perfect to serve for Mother’s Day brunch, or lunch or anytime because well, brunch!!!!

All of the recipes you see below are super simple to put together, made with just a handful of ingredients that I bet you have on hand already and come together in less than 30 minutes!

I made sure to include a little of everything, some savory, some sweet, some hot, some cold – an array of goodies to cater for all tastes.

They are all simple, all delicious and all guaranteed to be very much enjoyed and greatly appreciated no matter which one you choose.

1 – Quick and Easy Carrot and Zucchini Fritters  – GF – Paleo

2 – Whipped Espresso Choc Chip Chia Pudding – V – GF – DF – Paleo – Whole30

3 – Hummingbird Muffins with Coconut Yogurt Frosting – GF – Paleo

4 – Avocado and Black Bean Quesadillas – GF

5 – Gingerbread Protein Pancakes  – GF

6 – Jamie’s Spring Fritatta – GF  – Easily adapted to Paleo – Vegan & Whole30

7 – Vanilla Spiked Protein Waffles – GF

8 – Deliciously Ugly Lemon Berry Muffins – GF – Paleo

9 – Sun-dried Tomato, Spinach and Feta Quesadillas – GF

10 – Banana Fig and Walnut Muffins – GF – Paleo

11 – Strawberry Choc Chip Chia Pudding – V – GF – Paleo

12 – Vanilla Spiked Protein Pancakes – GF

13 – Sweet Potato Egg Boats – GF – Paleo – Whole30

14 – Banana Ricotta and Dark Chocolate Quesadillas –
GF – Eaily adapted to be Vegan – Dairy Free – Paleo

15 – Apple and Cinnamon Muffins with Maple-Vanilla Almond Butter Frosting
GF – Paleo

16 – Healthy, Wholewheat Peanut Butter Pancakes

17 – Epic Avocado Egg Salad Lettuce Cups – GF – Dairy Free – Paleo

So many delicious options, which would you choose?

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Please for the love of all that is good in this world when you do make your deliciously simple, secretly healthy, Mother’s day brunch recipe (or any of the recipes you find on this blog of mine) go ahead and snap a pic and share it either on the Facebook page, or tag me on twitter or Instagram. Sharing is caring remember.

Do it, do it You know you want to

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The post 17 Healthy Recipes for Mother’s Day Brunch first appeared on Better with Cake.

Happy New Year!!!!

Now that the holidays are over and a brand New Year has arrived raise your hand if you’re looking to get back on track, clean up your diet and start eating a little healthier?!

Yep, me too!

So, I thought I would go through the archives and pick out some of my favorite quick and easy, deliciously simple, seriously flavorful, lightened up meals to help kick start the New Year.

Below is a collection of 78 (!!!)  of my families favorite eats.

You guys, it was so hard to narrow it down to just 78!!!

I honestly could have listed hundreds of recipes but I didn’t want to overwhelm you with options.

But, I wanted to make sure I included a little something for everyone – so 78 it is!

We have – breakfast, mains, sides, snacks, smoothies and shakes as well as a handful of sweets ans treats – because it’s all about balance baby!

Most of the recipes included are made with no refined flours or sugars using just a handful of real food ingredients that I bet you have on hand already and come together in around 30 minutes.

Most of them also happen to be naturally gluten free and paleo friendly and many. if not all, are easily adaptable to fit special dietary needs or be made Whole 30 compliant.

I also made sure to include a little of everything so we have some vegan and vegetarian options as well as recipes using chicken, turkey, beef, salmon, tuna you name it I think we have it covered but most importantly all are insanely delicious and I hope you enjoy them as much as we do.

Breakfast

1 – Apple and Cinnamon Muffins with Maple Vanilla Almond Butter Frosting
Gluten Free & Paleo Friendly

2 – Apple and Cranberry Grain Free Granola
Vegan, Gluten Free, Paleo Friendly

3 – Banana Fig and Walnut Muffins
Gluten Free and Paleo Friendly

4 – Coconut Raspberry and Dark Chocolate Muffins
Gluten Free and Paleo Friendly

5 –  Cranberry and Coconut “Muesli”
Vegan, Gluten Free and Paleo Friendly

6 – Healthy, Grain Free Black Forest Granola
Vegan, Gluten Free and Paleo Friendly

7 – Jamie’s Spring Fritatta
Gluten Free and Paleo Friendly

8 – Protein Packed, Pumpkin Spiced Overnight Oats

9 – Pumpkin and Cranberry Grain Free Granola
Vegan, Gluten Free and Paleo Friendly

10 – Quick and Easy Carrot and Zucchini Fritters
Gluten Free and Paleo Friendly

11 – Seriously Moorish Strawberry Banana Bread
Gluten Free and Paleo Friendly

12 – Sweet Potato Egg Boats
Gluten Free and Paleo Friendly

13 – Vanilla Spiked Protein Pancakes

14 – Vanilla Spiked Protein Waffles

Mains

15 – Asian Style Turkey Burgers
Gluten Free – Paleo Friendly – Whole 30 Compliant

16 – Balsamic Grilled Chicken with Sweet and Spicy Strawberry Salsa
Gluten Free – Paleo Friendly – Whole 30 Compliant

17 – BBQ Chicken Green Chili Baked Potatoes
Gluten Free – Paleo Friendly – Whole 30 Compliant

18 – BBQ Chicken and Green Chili Meatloaf Muffins
Gluten Free and Paleo Friendly

19 – Best Ever Grilled Steak
Gluten Free – Paleo Friendly -Whole 30 Compliant

20 – Chicken Bruschetta
Gluten Free and Paleo Friendly

21 – Healthy, Homemade Asian Style Lettuce Wraps
Gluten Free – Paleo Friendly – Whole 30 Complient

22 – Healthy, Homemade Taco Salad Lettuce Wraps
Gluten Free – Paleo Friendly – Whole 30 Complient

23 – Healthy Homemade Teriyaki Chicken with Pineapple-Jalapeno Salsa
Gluten Free – Paleo Friendly – Whole 30 Complient

24 – Healthy, Homemade Teriyaki Salmon
Gluten Free – Paleo Friendly- Whole 30 Compliant

25 – Healthy, Homemade Teriyaki Turkey Burgers
Gluten Free – Paleo Friendly – Whole 30 Complient

Jamie’s Spring Fritatta
Gluten Free – Paleo Friendly – Whole 30 Adaptable

26 – Loaded Mexican Baked Sweet Potatoes
Gluten Free – Paleo Friendly – Whole 30 Compliant

27 – Deliciously Simple Garlic and Rosemary Chicken –
Gluten Free – Paleo Friendly – Whole 30 Compliant

28 – Raw Rainbow Spicy Peanut Lettuce Wraps
Gluten Free – Paleo Friendly & Whole 30 Compliant – switch PB for almond butter or nut butter of choice

29 – Sesame Crusted Smoky Sweet Potato Burgers
Vegan – Gluten Free – Paleo Friendly – Whole 30 Compliant

30 – Spicy Sun-dried Tomato and Chargrilled Red Pepper Tuna Burgers
Gluten Free – Paleo Friendly – Whole 30 Compliant

31 – Spicy Tuna and Tomato Burgers
Gluten Free – Paleo Friendly – Whole 30 Compliant

32 – Sweet and Saucy Mexican Spiced Slow Cooked Chicken
Gluten Free – Paleo Friendly – Whole 30 Compliant

33 – Sweet and Spicy Sesame Zucchini Noodles
Vegan – Gluten Free – Paleo Friendly – Whole 30 Compliant

34 –Zucchini Noodles with Avocado Pesto
Vegan – Gluten Free – Paleo Friendly – Whole 30 Compliant

Sides

35 – Creamy Roasted Garlic Whipped Cauliflower Mash
Vegan – Gluten Free – Paleo Friendly – Whole 30 Compliant

36 – Deliciously Simple, Perfectly Roasted Pumpkin
Vegan – Gluten Free – Paleo Friendly – Whole 30 Compliant

37 – Oven Roasted Vegetables
Vegan – Gluten Free – Paleo Friendly – Whole 30 Compliant

38 – Pan-fried Spinach with Garlic and Lemon
Vegan – Gluten Free – Paleo Friendly – Whole 30 Compliant

39 – Roasted Garlic, Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Mash
Vegan – Gluten Free – Paleo Friendly – Whole 30 Compliant

40 – Spinach and Kale Roasted Garlic Pesto
Vegan – Gluten Free – Paleo Friendly – Whole 30 Compliant

Snacks

41 – All Natural, Healthy, Homemade Almond Butter
Vegan – Gluten Free – Paleo Friendly – Whole 30 Compliant

42 – All Natural Salted Caramel Coconut Bliss Bites
Vegan – Gluten Free – Paleo Friendly

43 –Choc Banana Super food Snack Bites
Vegan – Gluten Free – Paleo Friendly

44- Cocoa Roasted Almonds
Vegan – Gluten Free – Paleo Friendly

45 – Date Chia and Coconut Energy Bites 
Vegan – Gluten Free – Paleo Friendly

46 – Deliciously Ugly Lemon Berry Muffins
Gluten Free – Paleo Friendly

47 – Healthy, Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge Power Bites
Vegan – Gluten Free – Paleo Friendly (swap PB for almond butter or nut butter of choice)

48 – Healthy, Homemade Tropical Trail Mix
Vegan – Gluten Free – Paleo Friendly – Whole 30 Compliant

49 – Healthy, No-Bake, Sugar Cookie Energy Bites
Vegan – Gluten Free – Paleo Friendly

50 – Hummingbird Muffins with Coconut Yogurt Frosting
Vegan – Gluten Free – Paleo Friendly

51 – Maple Cinnamon Roasted Almonds
Vegan – Gluten Free – Paleo Friendly

52 – Mango and Passionfruit Muffins with Coconut Yogurt Frosting
Gluten Free – Paleo Friendly

53 – Oven Roasted Beet Chips
Vegan – Gluten Free – Paleo Friendly

54 – Oven Roasted Honey Mustard Cashews
Vegan – Gluten Free – Paleo Friendly – Whole 30 Compliant

55 – Pistachio Choc Fudge Bliss Bites
Vegan – Gluten Free – Paleo Friendly

56 – Pumpkin and Pistachio Cashew Cheese Truffles
Vegan – Gluten Free – Paleo Friendly – Whole 30 Compliant

57 – Roasted Garlic Beetroot Hummus
Vegan – Gluten Free – Paleo Friendly – Whole 30 Compliant

58 – Roasted Garlic Cashew Cheese Dip
Vegan – Gluten Free – Paleo Friendly – Whole 30 Compliant

59 – Salt and Vinegar Kale Chips
Vegan – Gluten Free – Paleo Friendly

60 – Strawberry and Cream Bliss Bites
Vegan – Gluten Free – Paleo Friendly

61 – Sweet and Spicy Savory Nut Mix
Vegan – Gluten Free – Paleo Friendly – Whole 30 Compliant

Smoothies and Shakes

62 – Berry, Oat & Yogurt Super Smoothie
Vegan – Gluten Free – Paleo Friendly (swap oats for cashews or almonds)

63 – Energizing Green Apple Super Smoothie
Vegan – Gluten Free – Paleo Friendly – Whole 30 Compliant

64 – Maple, Almond and Banana Smoothie
Vegan – Gluten Free – Paleo Friendly – Whole 30 Compliant

65 – Mango and Banana Super Smoothie
Vegan – Gluten Free – Paleo Friendly – Whole 30 Compliant

66 – Gorgeous Green Smoothie (That actually tastes good!)
Vegan – Gluten Free – Paleo Friendly – Whole 30 Compliant

67- Tropical Green Super Smoothie
Vegan – Gluten Free – Paleo Friendly – Whole 30 Compliant

68 – Tummy Taming Anti-Inflammatory Tropical Smoothie
Vegan – Gluten Free – Paleo Friendly – Whole 30 Compliant

Sweets and Treats

69 – Chocolate Orange Chia Pudding
Vegan – Gluten Free – Paleo Friendly

70 – Classic Choc Chip Cookies
Gluten Free – Paleo Friendly

71 – Carrot Cake Muffins with Vanilla Spiked Cashew Cream Cheese Frosting
Gluten Free – Paleo Friendly

72 – Decadent and Rich Raw Chocolate Brownies
Vegan – Gluten Free – Paleo Friendly

73 – Double Chocolate Banana Bread
Gluten Free – Paleo Friendly

74 – Espresso Choc Chip Cookies
Gluten Free – Paleo Friendly

75 – Small Batch Double Chocolate Cupcakes with Raw Chocolate Frosting
Gluten Free – Paleo Friendly

76 – Secretly Healthy, Double Chocolate Mini Muffins
Gluten Free – Paleo Friendly

77 – Strawberry Choc Chip Chia Pudding
Vegan – Gluten Free – Paleo Friendly

78 – Whipped Chocolate and Coconut Chia Pudding
Vegan – Gluten Free – Paleo Friendly

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Question of the day –

What are some of your fave quick and easy, deliciously simple, lightened up meals?

Feel free to share recipes, or links to your fave recipes in the comments below or on the Facebook page and please for the love of all that is good in this world when you do make these any of the recipes you find on this blog of mine go ahead and snap a pic and share it either on the Facebook page, or tag me on twitter or Instagram. Sharing is caring remember.

Do it, do it, you know you want to

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The post 78 Deliciously Simple, Lightened Up Recipes to Kick Start the New Year first appeared on Better with Cake.

Well hey there, how are you?

Good I hope.

So tell me, how was your weekend?

Me?

Mine was good, super busy though! I was running all over town taking our little lady to and from birthday parties . . .

And then, of course, I had my hands full dealing with the post party come down which was all kinds of fun – said no parent ever!

Anyway . . .

I’m hungry, are you hungry?

I hope so because I made you a snack.

How would you like a big ol’ mouthful handful of apple and cranberry {grain free} granola?!

Oh you guys this stuff is so good!

It’s crisp, crunchy and perfectly spiced without being overly sweet.

It’s everything you want in a good granola and it could not be easier to make!

A mix of your favourite nuts and seeds are combined with some apple puree’, a drizzle of coconut oil, a touch of maple syrup, a splash of vanilla and a sprinkling of heart warming cinnamon before being oven roasted until they are deliciously golden and perfectly crisp.

Once that’s done we simply stir through a handful of sweet, juicy and delicious chewy dried cranberries and you’re done!

So simple but oh so good!

I seriously can not wait for you to try it because I know you are going to love it!

Not only is it insanely delicious as well as being super quick and easy to prepare, coming together in less than 30 minutes, start to finish!

But, it also happens to be all natural made with no refined flours or sugars using just a handful of ingredients that I bet you have on hand already.

It also happens to be naturally vegan, gluten free and Paleo friendly.

But most importantly it’s insanely delicious and you need it in your life like, yesterday!

For real!

I gave my dad some of this apple and cranberry granola to try, FYI – my dad is the granola king of our family, and he gave it a very enthusiastic double thumbs up and even went as far as to declaring it to be irresistible and you know what, I’d have to agree – it really is irresistible.

I mean would you just look at those clusters!!!!

Talk about addictive!

or is it addicting?!

I never get that right!

Either way it’s seriously delicious and I can not wait for you to try it!

Eat it straight up by the handful, sprinkle some onto your favorite smoothie, or with some fresh fruit and yogurt for a quick and easy, delicious, nutritious, breakfast (or snack) that will leave you feeling nourished, satisfied and energized for hours.

Delicious, nutritious, crisp and crunchy clusters of oven roasted nuts and seeds with a subtly sweet, apple infused, maple-vanilla glaze, a heart warming hum of cinnamon that is bursting with sweet and chewy dried cranberries . . .

Yes, yes, just yes!

Make it. Eat it. Love, love, love it.

Apple and Cranberry {Grain Free} “Granola” – Vegan, Gluten Free & Paleo Friendly

Makes approx 3 cups of all natural, delicious, nutritious, crisp and crunchy, subtly sweet, cinnamon spiked apple and cranberry {grain free} granola.

Ingredients –

3/4 cup raw almonds, roughly chopped

1/2 cup raw cashews, roughly chopped

1/4 cup pistachios, roughly chopped

1/4 cup Sunflower seeds

1/4 cup pepitas/pumpkin seeds

1 Tablespoon of chia seeds

2 Tablespoons of Apple Puree

1 Tablespoon of coconut oil, melted and cooled

2 Tablespoon maple syrup

1 Tablespoon vanilla

1 teaspoon cinnamon

a pinch of salt

1/2 cup dried cranberries

Method –

1 – Preheat your oven to 150’C (300’F) – Line a rimmed baking sheet with baking/parchment paper and set aside.

2 – Roughly chop your almonds, cashews and pistachios – Go easy though, you want there to be some larger pieces, even a few nuts left intact for some nice contrast in texture.

3 – Place your crushed/chopped nuts into a medium size bowl.

4 – Add sunflower seeds, pepitas, chia seeds and cinnamon and stir to combine.

5 – In a small bowl or jug whisk together maple syrup, coconut oil, apple puree and vanilla then pour over your nut/seed mix. Stir to combine.

6 – Pour your maple-vanilla-apple coated nut mix into one even layer onto your prepared baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes stirring occasionally. Keep an eye on it as like any granola recipe, these nuts can catch and burn quickly if left unattended especially when it comes to the final 5 minutes.

7 – Once your “granola” is deliciously golden and no longer “sticky” remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes.

8 – Add your cranberries and stir to combine then allow to cool completely on the baking sheet before transferring by the handful directly into your mouth to an airtight container (or ziplock bag) and store in the pantry.

Enjoy xoxo

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Question of the day –

What’s snacks are you loving lately?

Feel free to share recipes, or links to your fave recipes in the comments below or on the Facebook page and please for the love of all that is good in this world when you do make this “granola” (or any of the recipes you find on this blog of mine) go ahead and snap a pic and share it either on the Facebook page, or tag me on twitter or Instagram. Sharing is caring remember.

Do it, do it You know you want to

__________________________________________

The post Apple and Cranberry {Grain Free} “Granola” – Vegan, Gluten Free & Paleo Friendly first appeared on Better with Cake.

Breakfast . . . let’s talk about it shall we?

I mean after all it is the most important meal of the day, or so they say.

Who is “they” anyway?

Random, sorry . . . back to breakfast . . .

I am a huge fan of breakfast!

I’m talking H-U-G-E, HUGE fan!

Sometimes I go to bed early just so breakfast time can hurry up and get here ← yes, really!

Plus, breakfast time also brings the coffee which is always a welcome sight if you ask me. But, my love of coffee is another story for another day. Something for you to look forward to

So breakfast, tell me . . . love it? Hate it? Take it? Leave it?

If you are a fellow breakfast lover, what’s your preference? Hot/cold? Sweet/Savoury?

Do you have a set/go-to morning routine?

When it comes to breakfast I am a huge creature of habit – always cold, always on the sweet side and always quickly followed by coffee.

It doesn’t matter how hard I try, hot/savoury breakfast just does not appeal to me in the slightest. And don’t even get me started on oatmeal/porridge, I just can’t do it – It’s a texture thing. I really, really want to love it but . . . just no!

My go-to breakfast is vanilla spiked protein waffles, I’ll just cook up a big batch once a week (sometimes I add a cheeky shot of espresso to the batter because just yum!) and have them wrapped and ready to grab and go when the super busy morning rolls around.

I don’t know about you but, with the craziness that comes with getting everyone up, dressed, fed and out in the morning I ain’t got time for messing around with fancy breakfast prep!

I need something quick and easy yet hearty, healthy and all kinds of delicious.

Which is why I usually just stick with my waffles . . . you know what they say (there “they” are again!!) , if it ain’t broke don’t fix it!!

But, sometimes it’s nice to change things up a little . . . so I thought I’d have myself a little fun and try to come up with a new – hearty, healthy, seriously delicious way to start the day and that, my friend, is what we are going to do today.

Today, sweet invisible internet friend of mine, we are going to make ourselves a big ol’ batch of quick and easy, hearty, healthy, paleo friendly “muesli” up in here.

You guys are going to love this . . .

A combination of delicious, nutritious, protein packed nuts are combined with crispy, shards of smoky, sweet roasted coconut chips and some tart, chewy, sweet dried cranberries. A winning flavour combination if ever I saw one!

And it totally ticks all the boxes –

Quick and easy = check

Hearty and healthy = check

Packed with protein and healthy fats to help you stay fuller for longer = check and check

Subtly sweet, insanely delicious and all kinds of satisfying = checkity, check, check, check!

It also happens to be all natural as well as low carb, grain free and paleo friendly 

Here’s how we make it –

Simply chop up a whole bunch of your fave nuts and seeds, throw in some cranberries and some roasted coconut chips and boomshaklocka, breakfast is served baby!

No muss, no fuss – just real food, real fast that is straight up delicious!

Breakfast winning that’s fo’ sure

You know what else I love about breakfast? It’s the one meal you can get away with eating for anytime of day – without question.

Breakfast for lunch is totally acceptable.

Breakfast for dinner? Brinner = winner!

And this healthy, homemade cranberry-coconut muesli is no exception.

Perfect for you pre/post workout power-up

Perfect for getting through that mid afternoon slump or –

The perfectly delicious way to indulge at the end of the day. ← This option could do with a few cheeky dark chocolate chips thrown in for good measure – just go with it

But, as far as breakfast goes . . . simply serve with a splash of your milk of choice (I’m looking at you unsweetened vanilla almond milk), throw on some fresh berries and you, my friend, are in for a real treat or . . .

Serve your “muesli” on top of a big ol’ bowl full of thick and creamy coconut yoghurt (or Greek style if not paleo), throw on those fresh berries and finish with a drizzle of maple syrup  . . .

The combination of those crisp and crunchy, buttery nuts combined with the  crackle and crunch of those smoky, sweet roasted coconut chips and the tart, chewy sweetness of those dried cranberries . . . divine!

Don’t you just want to dive head first into that bowl, swim around in it’s glorious deliciousness for a while and then eat your way out?!

And, and you can totally mix this up the night before and have your “muesli” bircher style! Just throw your “muesli” in a bowl or jar, add in some milk or yoghurt (or a combination of both) give it a stir, cover and then pop them in the fridge overnight to soak – ready to grab and go as you rush out the door in the morning.  The nuts soften slightly and get all kinds of delicious as the flavours have a chance to infuse and intensify all while you sleep. I mean seriously what’s not to love?!

All natural, quick and easy, hearty, healthy, crisp and crunchy, subtly sweet and packed with protein. A delicious, nutritious way to start your day.

Make it. Eat it. Love, love, love it

Cranberry Coconut “Muesli”
{Low Carb, Grain Free & Paleo Friendly}
Makes approx 2 heaping cups of all natural, quick and easy, hearty, healthy, crisp and crunchy, subtly sweet protein rich, low carb, grain free & paleo friendly, cranberry, coco-nutty “muesli”

Ingredients –

1/4 cup mixed sunflower seeds and pepitas

1/4 cup raw (skinless) hazelnuts

1/2 cup raw almonds

1/2 cup raw cashews

1/3 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup roasted coconut chips

Optional but recommended for serving –

Coconut yoghurt (or Greek style if not paleo)

Raspberries

Blueberries

Maple Syrup

Method –

1 – Roughly chop all of the ingredients (or you could pop them in your food processor or blender and give them a quick whizz to break them up, or simply throw them in a ziplock bag and give them a good bashing with a rolling pin or fry pan.

2 – Store in an airtight container (or just a zip lock bag) until ready to serve.

3 – To serve simply eat by the handful, or pour into a bowl (or mug) and a splash of milk and top with fresh berries. Or you can serve over a big ol’ bowl of coconut (or Greek style) yoghurt, some fresh berries and a finish with a drizzle of maple syrup. FYI you can totally stir it up and pop it in the fridge overnight and serve with bircher style which I highly (HIGHLY) recommend!

Enjoy xoxo

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Question of the day –

What’s your preferred breakfast? Sweet, savoury? Hot cold? Tell me!?

Feel free to share recipes or links to your fave recipes either in the comments below, on the Facebook page or tag me on twitter or Instagram – sharing is caring people  

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The post Cranberry Coconut “Muesli” {Low Carb, Grain Free & Paleo Friendly} first appeared on Better with Cake.